I Visited A European-Only Car Show, And These Cars Blew Me Away

Autumn is a season of change, even for car enthusiasts

Fall is a wonderful time in New York City. The air gets cooler, the atmosphere feels warmer, and everything seems to mellow out as the seasons change. However, during this season, the landscape outside the five boroughs plays host to a landscape that is just as vibrant as the city itself.

Whether you are in North Jersey or the rolling hills in the Hudson Valley, the foliage explodes in a kaleidoscope of warm and bright colors. Before they fall down, the trees display leaves in a spectrum, ranging from brilliant crimson, burnt orange, and golden yellow; a wonderful metaphor that symbolizes the seasonal transition in many more ways than one. For those who escape the embrace of the concrete jungle to explore and take in the colors of autumn, the trees, leaves, and even the area's apple orchards and pumpkin patches become more than just simple scenery or "fall activities;" they become a reminder that seasons change to unlock memories and moments that can only come with time. 

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Autumn also feels a little bittersweet for the area's car enthusiasts, as it could be the last chance to hit the winding country roads before winter's salt and snow force their vehicles into storage. The crisp air and colorful foliage create the perfect conditions on winding backroads, and as the season turns, enthusiasts are pressed to savor their final opportunity to drive them. Before they put the wraps on their prized vehicles, it's one last chance to feel the engine roar beneath the falling leaves, carve through tree-lined curves, and savor the freedom of the open road until warmer conditions arrive again. 

On Saturday, October 18, the Wallisch Homestead in West Milford, NJ, played host to Grassroots Edition's European Vacation, a show intended to showcase the area's best European car builds in a setting intended to represent a true getaway from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Located nearly 45 miles from Midtown Manhattan, this 200-year-old historic farm site is far from the manicured lawns of a concurs d'elegance, but it served as a peaceful refuge where cars were front and center. 

Though it was hard to choose favorites among a curated selection of fine European machines, five unique rides stood out as true gems.

Koenigsegg CCX Edition

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Following the success of its earlier CCR, Koenigsegg recognized that its cars drew interest around the world and sought to produce a car that could be approved under the stringent safety and environmental regulations of different regions, particularly the United States. As a result, Koenigsegg revealed the CCX, a revised version of the CCR with a few tweaks to break into the states.

Apart from revised bodywork and aerodynamics, the main alterations were under the Koenigsegg's hood, where the CCR's Ford Modular V8-based powerplant was swapped for an in-house designed V8 meant to run on 91-octane pump gas. This 4.7-liter unit is made entirely out of heat-treated aluminum by a specialist with experience in Formula 1 powertrains. This twin-supercharged machine is capable of 795 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 679 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm.

This particular CCX is one of two CCX Edition models ever made. Atop the already-hardcore CCX, the Edition sports an upgraded 888 hp V8, as well as track-oriented enhancements including stiffer suspension, a unique aero package with a new rear wing, a larger front splitter and side winglets, as well as a bare-carbon body that shows off its construction. 

Porsche 911 (997) "RWB Queens"

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Our best creations in life often arise from opportunities that occur purely by chance. Daniel, the owner of this 997-generation Porsche 911, said he first bought his unique car as an engine-less shell a few years ago during the pandemic. Instead of sourcing another flat-six to fill the Carrera S's rear engine bay, he employed the help of Chavis Performance Engineering, a Maryland-based shop that swapped in a GM Performance LS3 V8 and mated it to the car's original manual gearbox. 

Visually, Dan's Porsche blends together the sculpted, original lines of the 997 911 with his personal style. In addition to some subtle nod visual cues to his Filipino heritage, such as rosary beads over the rearview mirror and an Illa Manila "Filipino Time" Rear Plate Frame, a variety of unique and custom parts can be found throughout the car. These include a set of Work Meister S1 wheels, Ganador mirrors, a titanium exhaust system, a painted carbon fiber roof, and a Formula 1-style third brake light embedded in the rear bumper. 

However, its most noticeable feature is the widebody kit made by RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB), a legendary Japanese tuning shop that exclusively builds track-focused widebody Porsches. The widebody kits are installed by just one person, RWB's founder, Akira Nakai, often during public events viewed by dedicated car enthusiasts. This particular RWB car, named RWB Queens to honor the owner's city roots, had its kit installed by Nakai at the R2 Expo during the 2025 New York International Auto Show.

Ferrari Mondial 3.2

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Among Ferraris, the Mondial has gotten a bad rap over the years, with some Ferrari fans quick to quip that the car is "the worst Ferrari" that has ever seen the light of day. Introduced in 1980, the Mondial is a symbol of a more unique chapter in Ferrari's history, as it attempted to create a more accessible, practical model that blurred the lines of what a fun performance car can be.

Unlike the 308 GTBi, which shared a powertrain with it at launch, the Mondial had four seats and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection to help fuel efficiency and emissions, but also neutered its performance. The early Mondial 8 was much slower than other Ferraris of the era, sporting a 0-60 mph time of around 8.2 seconds.

Despite the showing, the Mondial had many revisions to improve its performance throughout its 13-year run. This particular Mondial at the Grassroots Edition event is a Mondial 3.2 model, which was the second revision introduced in 1985. It featured a larger 3.2-liter V8 derived from the updated 328, which produced 270 horsepower. The owner of this Mondial says that it has been previously owned by a member of the Saudi royal family, a point of provenance supported by a door jamb plate in Arabic.

Renault Mégane Renaultsport 250

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It's not every day you see something like this. The sight of a Renault Mégane Renaultsport 250 in the United States is an occasion to note if you manage to lay eyes on one, since the French automotive mainstay has not had an official presence here in the States since 1987.

Whether you have seen one in real life or driven it in the Forza Motorsport or Forza Horizon games, it isn't very hard to tell that this French rocket is very special. The Renault Megane RS250 is a special creation that injects the tuning expertise of Renaultsport with the unique, stylish lines of the Megane. Though it features revised styling that reflects its Formula 1 experience, much of the magic happens under the hood. Here, a twin-scroll turbocharger pumps the 2-liter four-banger output to 250 horsepower; a healthy dose of power that is only assisted with the help of a center-exit sport exhaust. In addition, the RS250 gets a stiffer sport suspension, a limited-slip differential, and a beefed-up power steering system to keep the front wheels from submitting under torquesteer.  

In addition to the ample amount of standard equipment that helps the car stand out among rivals like the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Seat Leon Cupra, this RS250 Megane features some subtle enhancements fit for a weekend track session. These include an aftermarket Milltek exhaust system, Schroth 4-point harnesses, and a roll cage.

Lamborghini Miura S

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On sight, this car reminded me of the beginning scenes of The Italian Job. If you have never seen the movie (the original 1969 version starring Michael Caine), an orange Miura driven by a character important to the plot is seen rolling through the Alps before it meets its tragic fate in a tunnel. This opening sequence perfectly captures the allure of the Miura, as its beautiful body is a sight to see from nearly every angle.

Produced between 1966 and 1973, the Miura is considered Lamborghini's first "true supercar," though those who know the true story of this mid-engined masterpiece know that the company's namesake was totally against a radical car like this. At the time of its development in the mid-1960s, Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted to develop laid-back grand touring cars like the 350 and 400GT in lieu of the hardcore, street-legal race cars made by Ferrari. However, this didn't stop Lamborghini's top engineers from spending many late nights off the clock developing the prototype of this groundbreaking machine. 

It is easy to see why Mr. Lamborghini greenlit such a car. Upon its release, it was the fastest production car in the world and was the first of its kind to feature a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, which became the standard for these sorts of vehicles. This particular Miura is a Miura S, or P400S, a model that had famous owners like Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, and featured an enhanced engine and additional creature comforts like power windows.

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Final Thoughts

This is my first time attending an event held by Grassroots Editions, which has developed quite a reputation in the Northeast car scene over the past few years by leveraging its social media presence and curating meticulous invitational showcases that highlight quality builds from all over the region. These events feel more like getaway destinations than just another weekend car show.

This particular Grassroots Editions event was formally called "European Vacation," and despite its North Jersey setting, the name reflected the "if you build it, they will come" sort of vision they were aiming for. On the grounds of a farm away from the noise, people came together from all corners to appreciate cars under the collective banner of enthusiasts.

While the meticulously curated selection of European vehicles ranging from period-correct BMW builds to an actual GT3 Lamborghini Huracan is something to acknowledge, this was one of the few events I have attended that felt uniquely different in vision and execution. This event is a must-attend, and I look forward to the next event Grassroots puts on.

This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.